There’s no question that the HTC HD2 is the best Windows Mobile phone on the market right now. What remains to be seen, however, is whether the HD2 will hold any appeal by the time it gets to T-Mobile, considering that Windows Phone 7 Series is on the horizon. The size of the phone alone is enough to deter some people, but will the promise of something completely new and exciting keep potential buyers at bay? Obviously, it’s a bit hard to say without any Windows Phone 7 Series devices to compare it to at the moment. Plus, we still have a long way to go until we see any Windows Phone 7 Series handsets actually for sale, so we think the HD2 might have a fighting chance. We’ll take a look again when we finally get T-Mobile’s HTC HD2 in for review. You can now purchase the HTC HD2 unlocked for about $650, but for that kind of money, we’d think you’d want to wait around for the extra entertainment features and 3G support.

Design
Whether you have an allegiance to a particular brand or operating system, you have to admit that the HTC HD2’s design is pretty impressive. At 4.74 inches tall by 2.64 inches wide and 5.54 ounces, the smartphone demands your attention and we don’t deny it’s a beast. In fact, we suspect its size will be a turnoff for some; it’s not exactly the most pocketable device and it’s quite a handful to hold while on a call. That said, we have to give credit where credit is due. For the HD2 to pack in a massive 4.3-inch touch screen and all of its features and remain just 0.43 inch thick is no small feat. In addition, the hardware feels solid with a mix of stainless steel and soft-touch finish.

The HTC HD2 is quite a handful. It's certainly not the most pocket-friendly device, but on the upside, you get a massive 4.3-inch display.

Of course, what really makes the HD2 stand apart from the sea of touch-screen smartphones is its display. The HD2’s 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen is the largest we’ve seen on a smartphone to date. Couple the size with the sharp WVGA (480×800) resolution and you have one gorgeous mug. It’s vibrant, sharp, and readable in various lighting conditions. Photos, videos, Web sites, and messages are all that much easier to see, thanks to the extra real estate. The virtual keyboard also benefits from the larger screen as both the portrait and landscape are spacious and quite easy to use. As a person who prefers physical keyboards and has a hard time adjusting to virtual ones, the HD2’s roomy layout definitely made for an easier transition and allowed me to type faster compared with other onscreen keyboards.

One of the advantages of having such a large screen is that the onscreen keyboard is quite spacious and easy to use.

As you might have guessed from the aforementioned portrait and landscape modes, the display has a built-in accelerometer. It was fairly responsive during our review period, changing the screen orientation within a second or two of rotating the phone. It also has a proximity sensor so the display will be inactive when you’re on a phone call to prevent any accidental “mispresses” from your cheek. One other feature of note is the HD2’s multitouch support. Yes, you can use the coveted pinch-to-zoom gesture in various apps, including the browser, photos, and e-mail.

On the bottom, you'll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and Micro-USB port.

Below the screen, there are a handful of quick-access buttons, including Talk and End keys, a Home button, a Start menu shortcut, and a back button. You also get a volume rocker on the left side, and you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Micro-USB port on the bottom. The camera and flash are on back as one would expect, while the microSD expansion slot is located behind the battery door.

Our unlocked HTC HD2 came packed with an AC adapter (though the plug is U.K. standard, so you’ll have to get an adapter to use it in the States or elsewhere), a USB cable, a 2GB microSD card, a wired stereo headset, a soft protective pouch, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check out our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

User interface
At its core, the HTC HD2 is another Windows Mobile 6.5 device with the staple apps like Microsoft Office Mobile Suite, Internet Explorer Mobile, and Windows Media Player, as well as Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone backup service. However, the HD2 also employs the HTC Sense user experience, which masks the traditional Windows Mobile UI and that’s a good thing.

Similar to the versions running on HTC’s Android devices, Sense offers a tabbed toolbar along the bottom of the screen that allows you to easily run through and launch various apps by dragging your finger left to right, or vice versa, and then letting go when you reach the desired program. There are 11 available tabs in total, including ones for people, calendar, Internet, music, and stocks, and you can always add or remove tabs from the home screen by pressing the Menu key or going to the Settings and checking off the appropriate boxes in the list.

While a Windows Mobile device, the phone has the HTC Sense user experience, which makes it easier to use and more personal.

If you don’t see an app or task on that list, don’t worry. The Home screen offers additional quick link boxes where you can choose to create a shortcut for almost any app available on the phone as well as for contacts and bookmarks. Also on the Home screen, you can view any upcoming appointments and get real-time weather information. The forecast will automatically update depending on your location and you can even choose the animated weather wallpaper (for example, snowflakes will fall down the screen or if it’s raining, a windshield wiper will clear away the raindrops), which is a bit gimmicky but also kind of cool.

HTC Sense isn’t just about making the user interface prettier or making things more accessible from the Home screen. Sense also extends to other areas of the phone. You’ll see HTC’s touch in everything from the People/Contacts page to the Calendar to the media player. Oh, sure Windows Media Player is still there but why would you want to use that stale app when HTC offers its own media player that has a much more attractive Cover Flow-like interface and a more intuitive menu system? There are also little, thoughtful things, such as the fact that the HD2 will automatically lower the volume of your ringtone as you pick up the phone so you don’t annoy your neighbors by blasting them away with your samba music.

HTC Sense isn’t the cure-all for Windows Mobile. Once you dig into some of those core apps, such as Outlook, you’ll see some of Windows Mobile’s notorious usability issues rear their ugly heads. That said, Sense makes a huge difference in making this Windows phone easier to use, and more personal and functional.

Features
We’ll dive deeper into the HTC HD2’s features once the T-Mobile version is released, but here’s an overview of the basics. Beyond HTC Sense, the HD2’s feature set is pretty much what you’d expect from a high-end smartphone. It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, but the quad-band world phone does not offer U.S. 3G support. Obviously, this is where the T-Mobile HTC HD2 will take care of that issue.

Phone features include a speakerphone, speed dial, smart dialing, voice commands, conference calling, and text and multimedia messaging. The HD2 does a nice job of integrating the communication features. On a contact page, you can see all your interactions with that person, whether it be a phone call or text message, as well as any updates they’ve posted to social networking sites. From an e-mail, you can call the sender or recipient of the message with a single tap of the phone icon provided there is a number associated with that contact, and if there are multiple people in an e-mail thread, you can quickly make a conference call to all using a similar method.

We touched on the media player briefly in the section above, and in addition to that, the HD2 is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, dual LED flash, video-recording capabilities, and the standard editing options. Picture quality was quite good. We took the photo below in a relatively dimly lit room. We were satisfied with how the colors of the objects turned out and were certainly happy with the photo’s sharpness. The flash can sometimes do more harm than good, blowing out an entire shot. Also, there is the slightest bit of shutter lag. Recorded video clips looked decent. Some scenes could get a bit fuzzy but overall, for a camera phone, the HD2 did a commendable job with videos.

The HD2's 5-megapixel camera took great photos.

Now, T-Mobile’s version will offer plenty more entertainment options. At Mobile World Congress 2010, the carrier announced that it would ship the HD2 with both “Transformer” movies, Barnes & Noble’s e-book reader, Blockbuster’s On Demand video download app, and more. The unlocked HD2 comes with some extras of its own, including HTC’s Twitter app, Peep, the Opera mobile Web browser, and CoPilot Live 8 for voice-guided navigation.

Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) HTC HD2 in New York using AT&T service and call quality was good. On our end of the conversation, voices sounded loud and clear with very little background disruption. Every once in a while, a call would break up but we think that’s more of an AT&T issue than a phone issue, as we’ve experienced the same thing on other phones using AT&T service in New York. Meanwhile, our friends had high praises for the call quality, commenting on the rich sound and lack of background noise.

Unfortunately, the speakerphone didn’t produce quite the same results. On both sides of the call, we had a hard time hearing one another and had to repeatedly ask the other person to repeat himself or herself as the end of sentences often chopped off. Also, voices sounded quite tinny. Despite the occasional breakup mentioned before, we didn’t experience any dropped calls during our testing period and we had no problem pairing the phone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset or the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.

Without 3G support, browsing the Web over AT&T’s 3G network was, not surprisingly, a bit pokey. Using the Opera browser, CNET’s full site loaded in 1 minute and 26 seconds, while CNN and ESPN’s mobile sites came up in 10 seconds and 13 seconds, respectively. Thankfully, you have Wi-Fi to fall back on if you’re within range of a network. While we’re partial to Opera, Internet Explorer Mobile 6 has the advantage of Flash Lite support so you can view Flash sites and Flash videos right from the browser.

Using a Wi-Fi connection, YouTube clips buffered in just a couple of seconds and played back smoothly. We also put a couple of MP4 movie trailers on the device and had a great viewing experience with uninterrupted play back. Obviously, the HD2’s extralarge display added much value to the experience. Sound quality for both movies and music through the phone’s speakers sounded fairly weak, but after plugging in our Bose On-Ear headphones, we were amazed at how the phone could pump out such rich-sounding audio. The HD2 has 512MB ROM/448MB RAM and a microSD expansion slot.

Equipped with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, the HD2 performed without a problem during our review period. Though we weren’t blown away by any blazing speeds, the smartphone was snappy and much more responsive than other Windows Mobile devices. There was hardly any delay when launching or working in multiple apps, and even multimedia apps performed smoothly. Not once did we feel like the HD2 couldn’t keep up with our demands, nor did we experience any type of crash, which would require a reboot.

The HTC HD2 ships with a 1230mAh lithium-ion battery with a rated talk time of 6 hours and up to 20 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results.

Product summary :

The good: The HTC HD2 features a brilliant and massive 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen with multitouch support. HTC Sense offers a more user-friendly and customizable user experience. The smartphone is also equipped with a 1GHz processor and 5-megapixel camera.

The bad: The HD2 is huge. Speakerphone quality was somewhat poor. No U.S. 3G support on the unlocked version.

The bottom line: The HTC HD2 is simply the best Windows Mobile phone out there, but its appeal could be hampered by its size and the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series.

Specs:

• Part Number:HD2BLKULK

General

• Product Type Smartphone
• Service Provider Unlocked
• Width 2.6 in
• Depth 0.4 in
• Height 4.8 in
• Weight 5.5 oz
• Body Color Black

Cellular

• Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
• Band WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
• Phone Design Candy bar
• Vibrating Alert Yes
• Polyphonic Ringer Yes
• Call Timer Yes
• Conference Call Capability Yes
• Voice Recorder Yes
• Speakerphone Yes
• Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
• Application Software HTC Sense , Microsoft Office Mobile

Communicator Features

• Operating System Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional

Messaging & Data Services

• Mobile Email Yes
• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Yes
• EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution) Yes
• Internet Browser Yes
• Included Services Video Call
• HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) Yes
• Messaging / Data Features Mobile blog

Multimedia Features

• Playback Digital Video Formats 3gp , MPEG-4 , WMV (Windows Media Video)

Digital Camera

• Camera highlights With a resolution of 5 megapixels, this camera phone will give you higher quality pictures than other phones.
• Sensor Resolution 5 megapixels
• Focus Adjustment Automatic
• Camera Light Source LED light

GPS System

• GPS Navigation GPS receiver

Organizer

• Alarm Clock Yes
• Calendar Yes
• Reminder Yes
• Calculator Basic

Display

• Type LCD display
• Technology TFT
• Display Resolution 800 x 480 pixels
• Diagonal Size 4.3 in
• Features Ambient light sensor

Digital Player (Recorder)

• Supported Digital Audio Standards AAC , AMR , MP3 , QCP , WAV , WMA , MIDI

Connections

• Connector Type 1 x Micro-USB , 1 x Headphones – Mini-phone 3.5 mm
• Slot Provided 1

Power

• Type Power adapter

Battery

• Technology – Lithium ion
• Capacity 1230 mAh
• Talk Time Up to 380 min
• Standby Time Up to 490 h

Cnet.

Related posts:

1. HTC HD2 (unlocked)
2. Acer Liquid – black (unlocked)
3. Microsoft shares more details on Windows Phone Starter Edition

Updated with first-boot hands-on video!

As you can see from the video, in the box there’s the Legend itself, the battery, an A/C adapter, USB to microUSB cable and a wired hands-free headset. Our particular review unit didn’t come with a microSD card, but we imagine retail boxes will do. Whereas the entire rear panel of the Hero detached in order to fit the battery, on the Legend the soft-touch plastic bottom panel slides off to reveal a slot into which the battery fits. There are also slots for the SIM and microSD card.

HTC Legend unboxing:

It’s a noticeably thinner handset than the Hero, helped by the incredibly tactile brushed aluminum finish. HTC create the body by carving away from the single block of metal, and the end result is something naturally soft-touch but sturdy as well. Since the casing is also the chassis, you have a thinner device too. Our only mild disappointment is the row of buttons under the display – Home, Menu, Back and Search – which feel a little clicky and slightly cheap.

First impressions of the OS is that it’s all very similar to what we’re used to from the Hero, and other HTC Sense devices. They’ve sensibly added some helpful tips that hover over the homescreen and flag up features – such as the “helicopter view” Exposé-style overview of the seven panes, triggered either by a pinch-zoom gesture or by tapping the Home button – which should get new users up to speed sooner. Meanwhile there are a few new HTC widgets, and the company have mixed up their own and Google’s into the same list rather than segregating them as on the Hero.

With the slight processor boost – Qualcomm’s MSM7227 600MHz versus the Hero’s 528MHz chipset – we’re not expecting the Legend to be a speed demon, and we’ll be seeing how well it multitasks over the course of our review. The onscreen QWERTY keyboard feels responsive, though, and we’ve always been fans of HTC’s auto-correction and predictive text functionality. The AMOLED display, meanwhile, is bright and color-saturated, though a little less wowing than the larger panel on the Nexus One (and HTC Desire).

So far, so good then; a phone that feels like a real premium step up from the Hero, but that’s still pocketable and user-friendly. We’re off to put the HTC Legend through its paces, so until our full review check out the unboxing video and initial demo video below!

HTC Legend first-boot demo:

Slashgear.

Related posts:

1. Motorola Quench hands-on with video
2. Nexus One gets a software update, enables multitouch (updated with video!)
3. First Windows Phone 7 Series partner device unveiled (with video!)

Engadget/Apple.

Related posts:

1. Tegra-Powered Microsoft Courier to Wage War With iPad Late This Year
2. iPad may launch only in U.S.
3. All about the Apple iPad (FAQ)

Windows 7 introduced the new Sensors and Location platform that would let Windows automatically respond to environmental changes sensed by light, orientation sensors, or GPS chips.  This makes your computer more aware of its surroundings and change itself accordingly.  The location platform is especially interesting, as it brings the potential of automatic location based search and maps to your PC.  Unfortunately, most laptops today are not equipped with GPS chips.  Thanks to Geosense, however, you can still use the location platform.

Geosense uses IP lookup, WiFi and Cell tower triangulation, and more to find your location as accurately as possible.  Geosense lists itself as a sensor in the Windows Sensors and Locations, so once you’ve installed it, all location-aware applications and services will be able to pickup your location from it.  Please note that Geosense only works on Windows 7 Home Premium and higher, as Windows 7 Starter doesn’t include the Sensors and Locations platform.

Getting Started:

Geosense is a free download for Windows 7, with both 32 and 64 bit editions.  Choose the correct one for your computer, and install.

While installing, it will ask to install a device driver.  Simply press Install.  You may also see a UAC prompt, which you should accept as well.

When it is finished installing, you are ready to use Geosense.  First, lets make sure Geosense is enabled.  Enter “Location” in your Start Menu search, and select “Location and Other Sensors”.

Here you should see Geosense listed as a sensor.  If it is not enabled, click the check box beside it and click Apply.

You can see more information about Geosense if you click its name.  This page lets you change the description, choose which users can use this sensor, and uninstall it if you choose.

Using Geosense

There are few applications today that make use of the Location platform in Windows 7, but hopefully we will see more in the near future.  The weather desktop gadget, however, is location aware, so you can easily test out your Geosense location with it.  Once Geosense is installed, you will notice a grey logo beside your city’s name on the gadget that shows that a sensor is available.

Click on the gear to open the options pane.  Here you can now select “Find location automatically” and it will display the weather for the location detected by Geosense.

Now your gadget should show a blue icon beside the city name, showing that the location is coming from your location sensor.

Location-aware Google Maps

Another location aware application is a Google Maps app available from the Geosense site (link below).  This will automatically open a Google map at your current location, so you can easily search for directions and nearby businesses.  This could be very useful at a hotspot in a new city, for instance.  Once again, though, if it cannot detect your location, it may simply show a default location or a generic Google maps.

Conclusion:

Geosense and the Windows 7 Location Platform gives you a great way to make your mobile computing experience even more interesting.  Geosense brings location awareness to a much broader audience than previously possible, so hopefully we’ll see some unique and innovative uses in the near future.  Until then, even the current location aware apps are fun to try!

Note: If you’re concerned about privacy while using the Location-Enabled Google Maps Client, check out Google’s privacy policy regarding the service.

Link:

Download Geosense for Windows 7 and the Location-Enabled Google Maps Client.

Howtogeek.

Related posts:

1. How To Personalize Windows 7 Starter
2. Microsoft offers computer users choice of browsers
3. Things you didn’t know Google docs could do

Microsoft apparently reconsidered its upgrade policy, after announcing in January that upgrade editions would not be offered for Office 2010. The Technology Guarantee Program has some restrictions, however, so here’s the breakdown of everything you need to know to get your free upgrade.

Who is eligible for the Tech Guarantee?

To be eligible you have to purchase the complete Microsoft Office 2007 or single programs from the productivity suite between now and September 30, 2010. Purchases must be for a new copy of Office 2007 bought from Microsoft or an authorized reseller, and can be standalone purchases or bundled with the purchase of a new PC.

Who is not eligible?

This is a promotional offer for home users only. You are not eligible if you have Office 2007 through a volume license (typically business owners with five computers or more); promotional or not-for-resale copies; or bought Office 2007 through the Home Use Rights or Student Select programs. Students, however, are advised to check with their retailer as you may be eligible for an Office 2010 upgrade through that store.

I bought a copy of Office 2007 on eBay. Does it qualify?

No. Microsoft says, “eBay sellers or sellers reselling used product are not authorized retailers,” and therefore products purchased this way are not eligible for the Tech Guarantee.

What are the deadlines?

You have to purchase and activate your copy of Office 2007 by September 30, 2010 to be eligible for the upgrade. You also have to request your Office 2010 Tech Guarantee upgrade by October 31, 2010.

What are the Office 2010 Tech Guarantee limitations?

This is a straight up trade. You only get one Office 2010 suite for every corresponding Office 2007 product. However, some versions of Office 2010 have added new programs, such as OneNote, that weren’t a part of the corresponding 2007 suite. you can see complete details below.

Also, you can only get 25 Tech Guarantee upgrades per person. Microsoft has this restriction to encourage users with larger needs to sign up for volume licensing deals.

There are no refunds for Office 2010 software ordered through the Tech Guarantee program.

What do I need?

When it comes time to redeem your Office 2010 upgrade you will need to know the date of purchase for your copy of Office 2007, your Office 2007 25-character Product ID and a Windows Live account (if you don’t have a Windows Live ID you will be prompted to create one). Microsoft also advises you to hold onto your receipt as proof of purchase for Office 2007, since Microsoft may ask for information from your sales bill.

Why do I need a Windows Live ID?

Microsoft says it will be storing your Office 2010 Product Key through your Windows Live ID in case you need to download Office 2010 a second time.

How do I get my Office 2010 Upgrade?

You can download Office 2010 as soon as it’s commercially available in June. Make sure you’ve activated your copy of Office 2007, and then visit Microsoft’s Office 2010 Technology Guarantee Website to download the upgrade. You can also request a DVD for a fee if you prefer not to install your upgrade through the Internet. Microsoft hasn’t said how much it will cost to get the upgrade DVD.

Make sure you sign up for an e-mail reminder here (click on “Sign up for a reminder” button) so you won’t miss out on the Office 2010 deal.

What version of Office 2010 do I get for my copy of Office 2007?

You get the corresponding version of Office 2010 to your Office 2007 suite. Home and Student 2007 users get Home and Student 2010 . Office 2007 Standard and Basic users will get Home and Business 2010. Small Business, Professional and Ultimate users get Office Professional 2010.

Check out the included chart, to see a complete list of Office 2007 to 2010 upgrades.

Which programs are in each version of the Office 2010 suite?

Microsoft Office Professional 2010: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access and Publisher.

Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook.

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

All suites include the 2010 version of each program.

PCworld.

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Microsoft's dual-screen Courier e-Book reader/journal device reportedly will wage war with Apple's iPad late this year. (Source: Engadget)

Apple’s iPad certainly turned some heads when it was previewed in January, though not all of the attention it received was positive.  Despite curiously selecting a name that was once used in a Mad TV parody skit about feminine hygiene products, the device is sure to draw some early customers, if nothing else, when it launches to Wi-Fi and 3G forms in April (April 3 for the Wi-Fi version).

Long time Apple rival Microsoft has been working on its own tablet for nearly as long as the Cupertino corporation.  In September 2009, even as Apple’s designs remained secret and unknown, pictures and details about Microsoft’s Courier dual-screen tablet device first aired.

Since, Apple has taken the reins with its big January iPad announcement, and Microsoft has been curiously quiet.  However, Engadget’s source has leaked a lot of new information about the upcoming tablet.

The device is reportedly powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 2 and includes a camera. (Source: Engadget)

According to the source, the Courier will weigh just over a pound (similar to the iPad, which weighs 1.6 lb) and will function as a “digital journal”-cum-eBook reader.  It will be under and inch thick and have a closed size about as big as a 5×7 inch picture.  Its two screens will reportedly be powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 2, a ultra-low-voltage Cortex A9 ARM processor.

The tablet will run on the same base OS that Windows Mobile 7 and the Zune HD OS are built on, Windows CE 6.  The device will center around writing and drawing, with the ability to post everything you write to a personal website with flexible sharing levels.  Like the iPad, the Courier will have a 3.5 mm headphone jack, but it one-ups its fruity competitor, offering a built-in camera as well.

The device will use the same OS code base used by the Zune HD and Windows Mobile 7 operating systems. (Source: Engadget)

Engadget has new HD videos of the device in action, but the content is mostly the sames as the preview videos that aired in September.  The focus on journal activities is reiterated in them.

Ultimately, the iPad and the Courier are both very alike and very different.  Both share the same challenges — a public that for years has been lukewarm to tablet devices and the challenge of selling an eye strain-inducing LCD device as an eBook reader.  At the same time, both devices may be able to carve out a niche for themselves by their different perks in addition to being an eBook reader.  In Apple’s case it’s the iPad’s app library, which includes the ability to run higher resolution apps.  In Microsoft’s case it’s the journal functionality of the device, which seems well suited for the blog-loving busy current internet population.

Video :Gizmodo.

It should be interesting to see who comes out on top when the pair go head to head sometime late this year or early next year.

Dailytech.

Related posts:

1. iPad may launch only in U.S.
2. All about the Apple iPad (FAQ)
3. First iPad ad premieres during the Oscars

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Somebody must have scribbled that cheesy old catchphrase on the wall at Visual Concepts sometime in the past year, because the developer has made Major League Baseball 2K10 look and feel a lot like recent entries in the Sony-only MLB: The Show series. Ripping off the competition seems to have been a great idea, too. The result of this copycat-itis is the best game in the decade-long history of 2K Sports’ baseball franchise, a more realistic and more fully featured effort that delivers diamond delights in just about every possible way. Gameplay isn’t quite as clean as it could be, especially in the new My Player career option that lets you guide a rookie from the minors to the majors. But this is still a great re-creation of the national pastime that stands head, shoulders, and batting helmet above its predecessors.

Skill points come fast and furious even after you’ve made it to the majors in the new My Player mode.

Where MLB 2K10 most resembles its crosstown rival The Show is in the addition of My Player mode, an option that lets you create a rookie and take him to the bright lights and big cities of the Major Leagues. Those who have played The Show’s similarly role-playing-game-flavored Road to the Show will find themselves in familiar territory. You create a rookie phenom, pick a fave franchise to be drafted into, and then set off to try to become an MLB legend. Skill points are awarded just about every time you slip into your spikes. Hit a single, and you get points for hitting. Make a putout or record an assist, and you get points for fielding. Cross home plate with a run, and you get points for baserunning. Strike out the side, and you get points for pitching. And so on. Special objectives and clutch situations provide additional points. You might be called upon to record an out in under five pitches, for example, or work a hit-and-run when standing on first. You take part only in the plays that your player is involved in, which allows you to zip through entire seasons while manually playing nearly every game on the schedule.

How much action you see depends on the position you choose, of course. If you play a pitcher, you’re right in there with every toss from the mound, and you can even get called up to the majors after making a measly five starts in AA. If you assume the role of a third baseman, you just take your at-bats and step into the field every now and then to snag liners or catch pop-ups at the hot corner. So it can be a little dull playing a position player, unless you’re totally committed. Still, the role-playing aspect is superb, and you’ll find yourself feeling a real team vibe, cheering for your buddies when they’re at the plate while you’re on base, and being satisfied however you contribute to a win. You know you’re in a special baseball place when you get a thrill just laying down a bunt to move a runner into scoring position.

Addictive doesn’t even begin to describe how compelling My Player can be. Getting hooked is unavoidable if you’re any sort of a baseball fan. Games unfold as though you’re recording turns in an RPG or a strategy game, so you find yourself stuck playing just one more over and over again as the time flies by. Trying to get your Cooperstown wannabe buffed with the skill points and striving for his success at the plate, in the field, or on the rubber becomes a total compulsion. You can see yourself getting better with every game, improving both manually as you become more adept with the controls and automatically as your skills improve.

Refined pitching and batting make for a much more lifelike re-creation of the pitcher-hitter duel.

That said, My Player is a grind at first for non-pitchers. This is a freshman effort that needs some tweaking. Player progression for anybody who doesn’t spend half of a game playing with a rosin bag is a tad tedious. Criteria for being called up to the big leagues is set in stone, so you need to hit targets for things like average, slugging percentage, and games started, as well as reach plateaus in skill ratings such as contact hitting and speed on the basepaths. This presents a problem, because these standards don’t account for what sort of player you’re trying to build. There is a serious issue with how skill points are awarded to position players for baserunning. For example, to get that phone call from your favorite GM, you need to clock a speed rating of 65, which is all fine and dandy, because Major Leaguers need to move better than the average couch potato. But what if you want to create a lumbering power hitter who might swipe a dozen bases in his career? It’s also tough to earn running points no matter what kind of player you’re trying to build. Skill points for running are handed out only for things like successfully taking second on hit-and-run plays called by the computer or crossing home plate, all of which is random. It can take a couple of minor league seasons to get up to speed with your running skills, even if you’re trying to develop a lead-off Rickey Henderson type.

Another potential issue with My Player is the starting ratings for hitters when it comes to contact and power. Getting good wood on the ball and muscling it into the outfield is not easy during the first two or three years of your career. Rookies are woeful, even for AA ball, with very little pop. You need to time a swing just about perfectly to hit the ball with some authority, and even then your efforts are typically wimpy dribblers that barely make it to an outfielder before dying. If anything, you feel like you’re overmatched in the minors, not some future phenom everybody is talking about. Skilled twitch gamers might not have a gripe here. But players who aren’t as talented will find themselves either dropping down to rookie difficulty or tweaking the slider settings that determine things like hit power and contact on the default pro difficulty to allow for more oomph at the plate. Neither is a great option, however. Rookie jacks up offense to near-stupid levels (if you don’t hit .750 here, check your pulse), and dialing down pro shuts off both achievements and trophies, along with the ability to unlock player cards in games. It would be great to see this issue addressed with a patch that adjusts the initial hitting contact and power ratings in pro. Even a slight boost to power would make things a lot better.

Other aspects of MLB 2K10 are more traditional, yet still greatly improved over last year’s edition of the game. The primary modes of play, such as Franchise, Play Now, Home-Run Derby, online ranked matches, and online league play, return largely unchanged. The only significant addition is the MLB Today option that lets you play through the real 2010 Major League season as it takes place, starting with Grapefruit League action. Both the visuals and the audio have been overhauled more thoroughly, at least in the Xbox 360 version of the game. Where MLB 2K9 was flat-out ugly with its wax faces, its 360 successor is finely detailed to the point where you can even see that scruffy wannabe beard sported by Roy Halladay. You can’t say the same about the PlayStation 3 take on the game, though. It looks almost unfinished, with jaggies all over the place and lots of noticeable problems with uniforms and shadows. If you have a choice, and visuals are important to you, pick the 360 version of the game. Audio is equally improved on both systems, thankfully. Though their delivery isn’t always great, the broadcast-booth trio of Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, and newbie John Kruk offers real insights into the games being played and baseball as a whole, listing stats like Bill James and even calling created players by name if you’ve got a moniker reasonably common in North America. Atmospheric sound effects drop you into the middle of a stadium. You even get to enjoy creative jeers and cheers from yahoos in the stands. The only sore point remains the soundtrack, which is all over the place and annoying. Does anyone enjoy hearing Pearl Jam and the Sugarhill Gang back-to-back?

Your options when batting are now much more realistic.

Play on the field has been even more significantly revamped. Much more attention has been paid to realism this year, which shows up in a vastly enhanced pitcher-hitter duel. At-bats are more organic now whether you’re on the rubber or in the batter’s box. The right-stick pitching interface has been tweaked to provide additional realism and challenge. You now have to really nail pitch motions by twirling the stick accurately (like in last year’s game, every pitch type requires you to make a quickie circular motion) and complete the process smoothly to avoid making an odd motion that affects both speed and location. Screw up badly, and you generally wind up throwing a wild pitch into the backstop. Pressure has also been pumped up. If you get into a tough spot against a big hitter or with runners on base, your heart starts pounding as you lose composure. This rumbles through the gamepad and makes it hard to both aim pitches and complete the motions needed to pull them off. It’s a superb way to illustrate how tense baseball is on that guy standing all alone on the mound and also brings into play the mental factor so hard to incorporate into baseball games.

At least a mound visit can calm the hurler down. Offensively, everything has been dialed back a fair bit. In place of the slugfests that characterized previous games in the series, now you can work counts and earn walks and even take defensive swings to foul off close ones on the corners. Like real hitters in the big leagues, you have to be patient and wait for your pitch, which is a huge change from the swing-early-and-often philosophy that served you well in the hit-happy earlier games in the MLB 2K line. Of course, hit totals and scores are far more realistic than before, lending games an outstanding sense of authenticity.

A few aspects of gameplay feel off. At the default slider settings, everything in the field is too zippy and frantic when you’re out there, which comes as a shock when contrasted with the stoic duel between pitchers and batters. Speed isn’t so extreme that you can’t make plays, but ball and player movements have been accelerated so that catches and throws often look unrealistic. Weird animations make this effect worse. Players often catch pops contorted like they’re doing yoga, and first basemen casually take throws flipping down their gloves instead of stretching properly for the ball. Strange movements take place at the end of innings. If you make an inning-ending catch at third, for example, you often start trotting into right field or do a roundabout jog that looks like an unenthusiastic victory lap. Baserunning is probably the most serious issue. It’s just about impossible to steal a base with anyone but the best speedsters in the majors. You have to get off to a perfect jump. Go a split-second early, and you get picked off. Go a split-second late, and you’re gunned down by a throw that always seems to be dead on and finished off with a flawless tag. It’s immensely frustrating, particularly when you’re doing baserunning drills early on with a My Player prospect.

All the in-game stats and analyses are only a quick button-press away. So when Doc strikes you out, you’ve got no excuses.

But these problems pale in comparison to issues with online multiplayer. The PS3 version often suffers from just enough lag to make hitting and pitching frustrating, while games on the Xbox 360 generally run smoother but can be difficult to get into. It’s entirely possible that you’ll manage to get into lag-free games on both systems with little trouble, but at the time of this review experiences like that are definitely the exception rather than the rule.

MLB 2K10 is a very good baseball game that is light years beyond the mess that was MLB 2K9. It needs to be refined in a fair number of areas, which keeps it from knocking the ball out of the park. But the franchise has certainly taken a huge leap forward and sets the stage for next year’s game to make a legitimate run for the title.

Cnet.

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The survey was administered to 200 students with iPhones, 70 percent of whom had owned their iPhones for less than a year.

The most interesting trend was how quickly the iPhone became an indispensable part of the students’ lifestyles, and how many of them openly acknowledged they would be lost without it.

Nearly 85 percent of the iPhone owners used the phone as their watch, and 89 percent used it as their alarm clock. In fact, 75 percent admitted to falling asleep with the iPhone in bed with them, and 69 percent said they were more likely to forget their wallet than their iPhone when leaving in the morning.

Many students readily acknowledge how much they rely on their iPhones. When asked to rank their dependence on the iPhone on a scale of one to five – five being addicted and one being not at all addicted – 10 percent of the students acknowledged full addiction to the device, 34 percent ranked themselves as a four on the scale, and only 6 percent said they weren’t addicted at all.

And among those who didn’t consider themselves completely addicted, 32 percent expressed worry that they would become addicted someday.

Furthermore, 15 percent of those surveyed said the iPhone was turning them into a media addict; 30 percent called it a “doorway into the world”; 25 percent found the phone “dangerously alluring” and 41 percent said losing their iPhone would be “a tragedy.”

An extension of their bodies

Professor Tanya Luhrmann, the Stanford anthropology professor who oversaw the survey, told the San Jose Mercury News, “One of the most striking things we saw in the interviews was just how identified people were with their iPhone. It was not so much with the object itself, but it had so much personal information that it became a kind of extension of the mind and a means to have a social life. It just kind of captured part of their identity.”

Part of that identity isn’t just being seen as an iPhone owner, but actually perceiving the iPhone as a part of their selves. Nearly a quarter of those surveyed reported that the iPhone felt like an extension of their brain or body.

There was also a tendency among the survey participants to anthropomorphize their iPhones and treat it differently than other electronics. For example, 3 percent of the students said they don’t let anyone touch their iPhone; another 3 percent have named their iPhone; 9 percent have patted their iPhone and 8 percent admitted that they have at some time thought “My iPod is jealous of my iPhone.”

The survey also suggests iPhones can affect their owners’ relationships. Many iPhone owners reported complaints from friends and family about how much time they spent on their devices. In the survey, 7 percent of students said they had a roommate or partner who actually felt abandoned because of the student’s involvement with the iPhone.

“Some people used the term iPhone widow,” Luhrmann said.

Not necessarily unhealthy

Experts still can’t agree whether or not addictions to technologies such as the Internet and personal electronics even qualifies as a medical disorder.

Despite the interesting results, Luhrmann hesitates to say the iPhone is an unhealthy addiction. “I don’t think it is really unhealthy. I think they really like their iPhone,” she told TechNewsDaily.

Also, the current survey didn’t cover attitudes toward other smartphone. It’s possible that other phones with similar features might be just as useful and endearing to their owners as the iPhone is to the Stanford students.

The survey also suggests there are benefits to having an iPhone fixation that may balance out the potential negatives. Over 70 percent of those surveyed said the iPhone made them more organized, and 54 percent said the iPhone made them more productive.

Apple’s wonder phone may even be a confidence booster: 74 percent said the iPhone also made them feel cool.

How could anyone resist a phone that can do that?

Technewsdaily.com

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If you’re a PC user and are worried that your child might be exposed to inappropriate images and behaviors on the video chat site Chatroulette, here’s how you can prevent them from accessing the site.

The answer lies in your computer’s Windows Control Panel. These directions are for Microsoft Vista, but both XP and Windows 7 are similar.

First, shut down the webcam. Open the start menu, select Control Panel, and then find and open the Device Manager. Look under sound, video and game controllers and select the monitor webcam. Open the Driver tab and select “Disable.”

(Note: Doing this will not only prevent the webcam from being used on Chatroulette, but on any video chat site or webcam-enabled program.)

Next, set up a separate user account for the kids. In the Control Panel, select “User Accounts” and then open “Manage User Accounts.” Choose to add a new user. Once the “Add New User” window opens, select standard user, which will allow kids and other guests to use the computer, but will not allow them to make system changes like turning the webcam back on.

The third step involves protecting kids while they browse online. Browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox contain parental control settings to block objectionable material. If you use more than one browser, you may have to adjust the settings for each one.

Window’s Internet Explorer contains a feature called Content Advisor that allows you to control the types of Internet content that can be viewed on your computer. Content Advisor uses ratings that websites voluntarily provide to block or allow certain content. Unrated websites are automatically blocked.

To switch on this feature, open Internet Explorer and find Tools in the upper portion of the window. In IE8, it’s in the upper right corner. Open the dropdown menu and select “Internet Options,” open the “Content” tab and then select “Enable” Content Advisor. If you want to block particular sites, go to the “Approved Sites” tab, type in the Web address or URL, and then click “Never,” which will override the site rating.

Mozilla, the creator of Firefox, recommends two parental control add-ons for Firefox, both of which are free.

Glubble for Families is designed for parents with children under 12 and offers games, chat, safe surging and a kid-friendly safe search.

Parents might also consider ProCon Latte, which filters out objectionable language, replacing letters with asterisks, and makes it easy to create a site “Blacklist” – a list of blocked sites.

Google’s Chrome browser does not offer parental controls.

Families might also consider purchasing an Internet filter software program, which may offer more features than those available in browsers.

These types of controls will probably not come as a shock to the kids. If they use a computer at school, they are familiar with blocked access to sites.

Technewsdaily.com

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Preparing for a long trip can be a pain, but technology can help. With preparation and the right equipment, tech can keep you entertained, connected and on the right track from start to finish.

If you want one all-purpose device for carrying on your trip, make it a smartphone. Today’s phones allow you to communicate by voice, email or text; take decent photographs or a few minutes of video; access the Internet for entertainment; get directions and locate the best sightseeing spots; and listen to music and do some work with documents in a pinch.

Lonely Planet fans will be happy to know these popular guides are available for the iPhone. Augmented reality city guides for Android-based phones like Google’s Nexus One and Droid, are also available for about $5. The way augmented reality, or AR, works is that you point your smartphone camera’s viewfinder at an object of interest and the app will overlay information about that object directly on the screen. Eight U.S. cities are available and 12 European capital cities are on the way. Lonely Planet also offers individual travel guide chapters for download in a PDF format, called Pick and Mix. City introductions are free and may include enough information on events, local character and costs to plan the trip.

If you must work

If work is part of the itinerary, add a netbook rather than a full-sized laptop. It’s lightweight, sized to slip easily into a tote bag, and should be able to handle most on-screen tasks. Look for one with an 11-inch screen or larger.

If there are important documents or files you want to take with your on your travels, you can move them online or save them to a flash drive. Both Google Docs and Microsoft’s upcoming Office 2010, which comes with new free Web applications, will give you access to your documents as long as you have an Internet connection.

If storing your information online makes you nervous, you can copy your files onto a USB flash drive. In addition to files related to work, you might consider emergency numbers or any other “papers” you may find useful.

If you are concerned about storage space on the flash drive, you can easily measure the size of your documents before you go. Make a new folder on your desktop and drag a copy of the files into the folder. Right click the folder, select “Properties” and a window will pop up showing the total size. A $10 4GB flash drive will hold 4,096 megabytes (MB) worth of files.

If you will be using someone else’s computer, find out which Microsoft Word version they have installed. While .doc files made with Office 2003 can be read on Office 2007, the reverse is not true. If you are carrying important documents, but don’t know which computers you may eventually open them on, save files in the .doc format. To do that, open your document, select “Save As” and choose .doc (instead of .docx in Office 2007) from the drop down list.

Constant connectivity

If an Internet connection is essential, you may want to consider Verizon’s MiFi, or a WiFi card, which serve as mobile Internet “hotspots.” The MiFi can be carried in your pocket and will wirelessly connect up to five devices. Hotel rooms often charge $11 or more per 24 hour period, so calculate the cost before you go to decide if it’s worth it to purchase a mobile WiFi connection. If you will be attending a conference and want a connection, it is essential to use a WiFi card because the facility’s service may have trouble carrying a signal through its walls, or suffer a system overload due to too many users.

By all means, slip a camera and perhaps a video recorder like the Flip Ultra into your bag, especially if you are going to a scenic location. Many new cameras allow users to upload photos and video directly to a photo sharing site like Flickr. If you snap and send, you won’t run out of memory on your camera, or on your phone. Most photo sharing sites offer a sharing option, so friends and family can easily follow your travels.

Last but not least, remember chargers for each device you bring, and consider extra batteries. You may find yourself in a location without a power source, and a spare battery could be a lifesaver.

Technewsdaily.com

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